With all the negative news coming from West Virginia, an unexpectedly pleasant surprise arrived in 1971 when John Denver released "Take Me Home, Country Roads." It quickly became a hit and one of West Virginia’s most beloved songs. Though some lyrics mention places in Virginia, the writers were inspired by West Virginia friends and the state’s culture. The song spread the word about West Virginia worldwide, even reaching China after President Nixon took a cassette tape of it there in 1972. In 2014, it was officially named one of West Virginia’s official state songs.